Home
by Shirl
Summary: [Jericho] Oneshot companion piece to 'Truce'. It's Christmas Eve. Stanley isn't thrilled about helping out in another fooddrive, but he arrives with Bonnie and Mimi. Told from Stanley's POV.


Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters used in this Jericho fic. All rights belong to CBS.

A/N: Once again, I am posting this without the assistance of a beta. I wanted to write a Christmas-themed fic, and this is the end result. It is a kind-of sequel or companion piece to "Truce". "Truce" was from Mimi's point of view, and this one is from Stanley's. Although it is not absolutely essential to read "Truce" first, it will make the reading of this story much more meaningful if you do. Enjoy!

* * *

Stanley hefted the last box onto the pickup truck, and then honked the horn. Personally, he didn't care that he was late for the food drive, but Bonnie had already been sitting in the truck for fifteen minutes. Despite the cold, he wasn't about to waste precious fuel by keeping the engine running.

He eyed the piles of dried corn that he'd loaded. He grabbed a handful. Then he dropped them. After repeating the motions a couple of times, he stuck his hand in the back pocket of his jeans. There was enough stored in the barn to last them through the winter. He could spare this much to help out other folks. Again.

Stanley hadn't been thrilled when Jake had stopped by earlier to announce a last-minute food drive. It was Christmas Eve, for Pete's sake; not that it was going to be much of a Christmas this year. Stanley felt he'd done more than his share when everyone had helped themselves to his corn harvest. But according to Jake, even with the food-from-the-sky, courtesy of China, people were still starving.

Stanley tapped on the horn again.

Mimi came flying out the door, long hair streaming behind her.

"Do I want to know what took you so long?" he asked.

Mimi glared at him. "I was trying to decide which ballroom gown to wear," she said.

He chuckled. When Mimi had first come to stay with them, she'd tried to maintain her polished business attire, complete with makeup and heels. That had lasted a good three weeks before she'd succumbed to some of Bonnie's clothes and his plaid shirts. Frankly, he thought she looked best wearing his shirt and nothing else.

"Something funny?" Mimi asked.

Stanley realized he was smirking. He decided to keep his thoughts to himself. Noticing the plastic bag she held, he said, "Here, I'll take that." But she spun away from him, muttering something under her breath that he couldn't quite catch.

He sighed and got into the truck. Bonnie scooted closer to him, either to give Mimi more room or for his body heat. "I can't feel my fingers," his sister complained.

Stanley started the engine and cranked the heater to high.

XxXxXxXxXxXx

Just as Stanley pulled into a parking spot across the street from the town hall, snow began to fall. It was late afternoon, and the light was waning. Though it was cold, there wasn't much wind, so the snow drifted down lazily; the sight was rather pretty. However, it was also a reminder that winter was here – a potentially deadly winter for people that didn't have enough heat or food.

As the girls scrambled out the passenger side, Stanley heard a knock on his window.

Jake grinned at him through the glass. "Hey, you made it," he said.

Stanley got out, avoiding Jake's gaze. "Yeah," he responded.

"You don't sound too thrilled."

Ignoring his friend's dry observation, Stanley leaned over the side of the truck and reached down. "Help me with these boxes," he said.

"You're doing a good thing, Stanley."

Stanley paused, and finally met Jake's eyes. "Am I? Does it matter that I almost turned the truck around twice on the way over?"

"No. You're here. That's what matters." Jake glanced away and jerked his chin outward. "What's going on there?"

Stanley had no idea what Jake was talking about. "Where?"

Jake motioned with another toss of his head. "There. Your IRS-woman and that kid."

Pivoting around, Stanley saw Mimi halfway down the block. She was speaking with a boy that was around Bonnie's age. "She has a name, you know," Stanley said in a pointed tone.

"Trouble?" Jake quipped.

Stanley huffed out a breath. He continued to watch the pair. Mimi's hands were flailing about, as they tended to do when she was agitated. It was difficult to judge the boy's expression in the fading light, but he appeared to be scowling. When he began to walk away, Mimi seized the sleeve of his jacket. He yanked himself free. Although the boy was much younger, he seemed to loom over her in a menacing way.

His brow wrinkling, Stanley glanced over at Bonnie. She was standing beside the truck, staring at the same couple. Her eyes were narrowed, almost squinting. Stanley assumed she was 'eavesdropping' on the conversation. At one point, she pressed a hand to her mouth to stifle a laugh.

Stanley touched Bonnie's shoulder, and she looked up at him.

'What's going on?' he signed.

'Nothing.' Her eyes were rounded in innocence.

'Nothing? It looks like something to me. Isn't that kid in your class? He looks familiar.'

Bonnie didn't reply. Her gaze returned to the unfolding drama. Stanley looked back as well, just in time to see Mimi jabbing her index finger into the guy's chest. Stanley was pretty certain that gesture wouldn't be appreciated. Sure enough, the teen moved forward as if he was going to throttle the owner of the finger.

Stanley took two steps before he found a restraining hand on his arm.

"Wait," Jake said.

Stanley hesitated. Mimi stood with hands on her hips and said a few words. The boy looked toward the truck. Stanley met his gaze for a split-second before the boy averted his head. And then the kid was shuffling in their direction, with Mimi bringing up the rear.

"Hey, Bonnie," he mumbled.

Bonnie's cheeks were as red as her mittens; Stanley didn't think it was due to the cold.

"I, uh…I wanted…"

Mimi smacked him on the back of his head. "Not here, idiot! Go over there." She flicked her hands. "I want to see you, but not hear you."

Bonnie raised her eyebrows, a dubious expression on her face. "It's okay," Mimi assured her. "We're right here."

After his sister and the teen were out of earshot, Stanley addressed Mimi. "Care to explain yourself?"

"Just taking care of some business," she said.

"What business could you possibly have with him?" Stanley demanded. "And why is he talking to Bonnie?"

"That kid is a troublemaker," Jake advised. "He's always stirring up something."

That revelation didn't make Stanley feel better. Mimi was giving him the same wide-eyed look that Bonnie had displayed. "You're not going to tell me, are you," he said.

A tiny smile played around Mimi's mouth. "Nope."

Bonnie soon returned to them. Though most of the flush had receded from her face, her cheeks were still tinged pink. The mysterious kid had vanished. She dipped into the rear of the truck. Struggling with a box, she said, "Can we go now?"

Mimi helped her lift it out, and they headed for the hall together. Nonplussed, Stanley shook his head. "I think I liked it better when they didn't get along," he muttered.

Jake clapped him between the shoulder blades. "Women, huh?"

"Do you have any advice?" Stanley asked, hoping he didn't sound too desperate.

Jake snorted. "Me? I'm the last person in this world who should be giving advice in that department."

Stanley was aware of the undercurrent of meaning in that statement. "So, how's it going with –"

"Don't ask," Jake cut in.

It took several trips for Stanley and Jake to bring all of the food inside the hall. Most of the town seemed to have congregated inside; the room hummed with conversation and laughter. The reason for gathering there was a serious one, yet the mood seemed to be relaxed. Multi-coloured lights strung across the ceiling and cheerful Christmas tunes from a stereo added to the festive air; the generator was working full-blast this evening.

Stanley found Mimi making small talk with Jake's mother. "Hi Mrs. Green," he greeted.

Gail gave him a level look. "Stanley…" she began.

He rushed ahead of her. "I know what you're going to say, but I'm sorry. I can't call you Gail. It just wouldn't be right."

Stanley had been friends with Jake since they were ten. Jake's mom had always made the best chocolate chip cookies. And in Stanley's eyes, she would always be Mrs. Green.

Gail turned to Mimi. "Would you please tell him he's making me feel old?"

Mimi's dark eyes were lit with humour. "You know Stanley. He has a way with the women."

Eager to change the subject, Stanley held out the plastic bag to Mimi. "You forgot this on the front seat. Are you donating it?"

She bit her lip, and it took her a prolonged moment to reply. "Yes."

He handed the bag to Gail. When she peeked inside, she issued a delighted gasp. "Chocolate!"

Stanley had never seen Mimi blush before; it made her freckles more noticeable. "Yeah, I can't eat it all myself, so why not share it, right?"

"This is a real treat, Mimi. Thank you," Gail said.

Mimi watched with a look of longing as the older woman walked away with the stash. Chuckling, Stanley put his arms around her. "You're really cute when you blush," he teased.

"Shut up," she said, but she leaned into his embrace.

"You did a nice thing."

Mimi shrugged off the comment. "I almost didn't. That's why I was late coming out of the house. I'm embarrassed to say how long I debated with myself. And I lied, you know."

"About what?"

"About not being able to eat it all myself."

Stanley laughed. "Come on. There must have been a dozen boxes in there."

"Only eight," she corrected in a defensive tone. "And I didn't mean in one sitting, of course, though I suppose it could be done." She wrinkled her nose. "No, that's kind of gross."

Mimi gestured for him to move in closer, so Stanley inclined his head. She spoke softly in his ear. "Don't tell anyone, but I saved two boxes. One for me, and one for Bonnie."

He smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Your secret's safe with me."

XxXxXxXxXxXx

Stanley spent some time catching up with folks he hadn't seen in a while. There were many families living in worse conditions than what he had on the farm. After hearing their stories, he was glad he'd come after all.

He stood up and glanced around. The crowd had thinned out, but groups were still clumped here and there. Next to the decorated tree, some couples were swaying slowly to the music. He recognized the plaintive strains of 'I'll Be Home for Christmas'.

Bonnie approached him, looking worried. 'You should go after her,' she signed.

"Who?" he questioned out loud.

"Mimi. She seemed really upset and ran out." Bonnie handed him a navy blue jacket. "And she left her coat."

Stanley thanked his sister for the news. As he walked toward the front door, he pulled on his own coat. He stepped outside into a winter wonderland; the snowfall had been steady the last few hours, blanketing everything in pristine white. Even the air smelled crisp and clean. The temperature seemed to have dropped sharply, so the crystallized snow sparkled like diamonds.

It didn't take him long to find the lone figure sitting on a sidewalk bench. The nearby lamppost illuminated her in a circular spotlight. His boots crunched in the snow with each step. She must have heard him coming, yet she didn't look up. Her head remained down, arms folded across her chest.

"Cold?" Stanley asked. His breath emerged in wispy white puffs.

"No," Mimi replied.

But even as she denied it, he saw a shiver run through her. Dressed only in a sweater and jeans, he knew she must be freezing. He threw the navy jacket over her shoulders. It was his old parka, stained and well-worn; it was too large for her, seeming to swallow her whole.

Stanley sat down. He remained silent for a while, occasionally stealing furtive glances in her direction. Mimi looked pensive, but he was relieved she wasn't crying. He didn't deal well with crying women.

"So, what's up?" he finally said.

"It's stupid."

"This is about the chocolate, isn't it," he deadpanned. "It's not too late. I can still get it back."

"Ha ha." She buried deeper into his coat. "It was that song."

He tried to follow her logic. "You ran out because of a song?"

"I told you it was stupid. You know, 'I'll be home for Christmas', 'snow and mistletoe', and all that stuff." She waved her hand around for emphasis, and then withdrew it back beneath the coat. "It's my favourite Christmas song, but I couldn't listen to it tonight."

Stanley nodded. "Right. I guess it made you think of home, huh?"

"Yeah," she confirmed. "The home that got blown up."

"Well, I know it's not the same thing, but you've got a new home now. With me and Bonnie," he added, just for clarification.

One corner of Mimi's lip curled up. "You're sweet, but it's only a temporary arrangement."

"Why should it only be temporary?" Stanley countered. "Have you had a better offer?"

"No, you goof. But I don't think you or your sister want me hanging around forever."

"Hey, let me speak for myself." Stanley had gotten used to having Mimi around. He loved his sister, but sometimes, the overwhelming silence made him stir-crazy. Mimi, on the other hand, was a constant source of chatter. She was smart, abrasive, funny, loud, and she could always make him laugh. He didn't want to imagine the house without her.

"As for Bonnie," he continued, "she likes you. And she's never liked any of my girlfriends."

Mimi shot him a skeptical look. "'Like' is a little strong. Don't you mean she tolerates me?"

"No, I mean she likes you. She hasn't said it in so many words, but I know my sister." Stanley turned slightly, so he was facing Mimi. "Look, you have to understand. Ever since Mom and Dad died, it's been just me and Bonnie. She can be a little protective of me and kind of jealous of any time I spend away from her. I'm sure she'll grow out of it eventually, but that's just the way it's been."

In the past month, Stanley had noticed that Bonnie was warming up to Mimi. She no longer signed snide comments about the IRS-lady. Upon Mimi's request, Bonnie had even begun teaching her some simple signs; she had never done that with any of Stanley's old girlfriends. Ever.

"I guess that makes sense," Mimi said. "Do you think about your parents at Christmas?"

"Sure, I do. Every Christmas Eve, we light a candle for each of them. It makes me feel like maybe they're close by."

Mimi regarded him with sad eyes. "That's really beautiful, Stanley," she murmured, blinking rapidly, as if to ward off tears.

He shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a sensitive guy."

She slapped him on the shoulder, and then tucked her head against his chest. He wound an arm around her, holding her close.

"Do you have extra candles?" Mimi asked, her voice husky. "I'd like to light one for my family."

"We can do that."

"I wonder how many candles we'd need for everyone who died that day."

Stanley had no answer. They remained huddled together for a moment, and then he said, "Ready to go? We'll light candles and break open the chocolate."

Mimi snuggled against him, mumbling something into the fabric of his coat. "What's that?" he asked.

She looked up. "I was just thinking about the song again. We've got the snow, but no mistletoe."

Stanley smiled. "Since when do we need mistletoe as an excuse?" His gaze fell on her mouth – rosy, moist, and waiting to be kissed. Pressing his lips to hers, he kissed her slowly and gently. There was no need to rush.

Then he said, "Let's go home."


End file.
